Feyenoord beat AZ due to own goal; FC Utrecht come back from 2-0 down to draw
Feyenoord beat AZ Alkmaar 0-1 in an important game for UEFA Champions League qualification on Saturday. Zico Buurmeester scored an own goal to give Robin van Persie his fourth league win in a row. The weekend was made even better when Feyenoord’s closest rivals for the third spot, FC Utrecht, failed to win on Sunday, giving the Rotterdammers a three-point lead.
AZ Alkmaar seem to be out of contention for a Champions League spot after the loss. Maarten Martens’ side are 10 points behind Feyenoord with six games remaining. They will now focus all their attention on the KNVB Cup final. The Alkmaarders face Go Ahead Eagles on April 21 in De Kuip in Rotterdam.
Go Ahead Eagles seem to be in a much better run of form than the Alkmaarders and it showed on Sunday when they held FC Utrecht to a 2-2 draw. The game will feel like two points dropped for the team’s manager Paul Simonis as his team was leading 2-0 after just 20 minutes played in the Adelaarshorst.
Mathis Suray and Victor Edvardsen scored in the 14th and 17th minutes of the match. However, Go Ahead then went on to concede twice in a minute right before halftime. Utrecht’s goals were scored by Yoann Cathline and Miguel Rodriguez.
Sparta Rotterdam picked up an important win in their fight against relegation on Sunday. The Rotterdammers defeated NEC 2-0 at home to climb from 15th to 12th in the Eredivisie table.
Maurice Steijn’s side have turned their fortunes around in the last few months. They are unbeaten in their last five. This is the opposite of Willem II, who remain in the spot for a relegation play-off with their sixth loss in a row on Friday night away to Heerenveen.
Willem II are at least six points behind the nearest teams above them, which are: NAC Breda, PEC Zwolle, and NEC. RKC picked up their second draw in a row against Heracles on Sunday but they will need to pick up some wins if they want to bridge the five point gap with Willem II above them.
